deceased 1 of 3

deceased

2 of 3

verb

past tense of decease

deceased

3 of 3

noun

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective deceased contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of deceased are dead, defunct, departed, and late. While all these words mean "devoid of life," deceased, departed, and late apply to persons who have died recently. deceased is the preferred term in legal use.

the estate of the deceased

Where would dead be a reasonable alternative to deceased?

While in some cases nearly identical to deceased, dead applies literally to what is deprived of vital force but is used figuratively of anything that has lost any attribute (such as energy, activity, radiance) suggesting life.

a dead, listless performance

When is defunct a more appropriate choice than deceased?

The meanings of defunct and deceased largely overlap; however, defunct stresses cessation of active existence or operation.

a defunct television series

When could departed be used to replace deceased?

The words departed and deceased can be used in similar contexts, but departed is used usually as a euphemism.

our departed sister

When is it sensible to use late instead of deceased?

Although the words late and deceased have much in common, late is used especially with reference to a person in a specific relation or status.

the company's late president

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of deceased
Adjective
GEDMatch is one of the databases used by the DNA Doe project, a non-profit that works to name the deceased who remain unidentified. Crimesider Staff, CBS News, 27 Apr. 2018
Verb
Video captured by an Israeli drone, appearing to show Hamas personnel faking the recovery of a deceased hostage, has put the terrorist group in a compromised position. Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 28 Oct. 2025 Hamas committed to returning all living and deceased captives being held in the strip as part of the ceasefire deal reached earlier this month. David Brennan, ABC News, 27 Oct. 2025
Noun
Israel declared Al-Atresh deceased on June 24, 2024. Rachel Wolf, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2025 After extinguishing the fire, officials found Robert Hill, 44, deceased with severe burns, apparent head trauma, and signs of decomposition, according to Melesa Johnson with the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office. Noelle Alviz-Gransee, Kansas City Star, 29 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for deceased
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deceased
Adjective
  • Mental health advocates said Lauren Spors' encounters with law enforcement in the days and hours before her mother was found dead show multiple points of possible intervention.
    David Clarey, jsonline.com, 27 Oct. 2025
  • Carrig and her newborn baby were pronounced dead at the scene, and Haile was taken to a local hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation, the DA said.
    Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 26 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Three people also died during storm preparations, but the government has not provided a death toll since the hurricane battered the island on Tuesday.
    Mitchell McCluskey, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2025
  • The queen mother died last week at the age of 93 after years battling illnesses, Reuters reported.
    Michael Cappetta, Travel + Leisure, 30 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The masks were made directly on the decedents' skulls, covering their jaw and face.
    Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2025
  • Details on firearm ownership were missing for 23% of the decedents.
    Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 26 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The researchers found the pathogens — Salmonella enterica and Borrelia recurrentis, bacteria that cause paratyphoid fever and relapsing fever, respectively — by analyzing teeth from the fallen soldiers who were found in a mass grave uncovered in 2001 in Vilnius, Lithuania.
    Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2025
  • Carruth often begins with a small image, such as a fallen pearl or a misplaced wand, and lets the story unspool from emotion.
    William Jones, USA Today, 22 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Unfortunately, Castro-Rivera perished.
    Armando Garcia, ABC News, 26 Oct. 2025
  • All told, hundreds of thousands perished.
    Ari Daniel, NPR, 24 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The character was loosely inspired by Ed Gein, a real serial killer and grave robber from Wisconsin who dug up corpses and used their bones and skin to make everything from clothing to furniture and even silverware.
    Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
  • And the mass graves of corpses evicted from San Francisco cemeteries a century ago.
    Chris Kenning, USA Today, 25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The Oppenheim Group's latest agent didn't get off to a great start with fellow soap alum Chrishell Stause.
    Jillian Sederholm, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
  • By late 1990, police suspected Wuornos of the murders and tracked down Moore to help convince Wuornos to confess.
    Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The at-bats were brief and uneventful, the opposite of the approach that carried Toronto to this stage and felled Snell in Game 1.
    Andy McCullough, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025
  • That says a lot about the 2025 Red Sox, who were a top offensive team in many metrics, but were also felled by their bats in crucial spots throughout the year and postseason.
    Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 23 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Deceased.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deceased. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.

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